
FT MEADE 
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KHAN-LI. 


[from the mural painting in the galler/ of national heroes AT YEZD.l 




THE 


LAST AMERICAN 


A FRAGMENT 

From the Journal of 


KHAN-LI 

PRINCE OF DIMPH-YOO-CHUR AND ADMIRAL IN THE 
PERSIAN NAVY 


Edited by 



>D 

NEW YORK 

FREDERICK A. STOKES & BROTHER 


MDCCCLXXXIX 


-?Z,3 

' V 

3 


COPYRIGHT, 1889, BY 
FREDERICK A. STOKES & BROTHER 


gMicatioii. 


TO 

THE AMERICAN 

WHO IS MORE THAN SATISFIED WITH 

HIMSELF 

AND 

HIS COUNTRY 

THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY 

DEDICATED. 

















. 





































































































































































































































































































A FEW WORDS 

BY 

HEDFUL, 

SURNAMED 11 THE AXIS OF WISDOM,” 

Curator of the Imperial Museum at Shiraz. Author of 
“ The Celestial Conquest of Kaly-phorn-yaf and of 
“ Northern Mehrika under the Hy-Bernyan Rulers 

The astounding discoveries of Khan-li of 
Dimph-yoo-chur have thrown floods of light 
upon the domestic life of the Mehrikan people. 
He little realized when he landed upon that 
sleeping continent what a service he was about 
to render history, or what enthusiasm his dis- 
coveries would arouse among Persian archae- 
ologists. 

Every student of antiquity is familiar with 
their history. 


8 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


But for the benefit of those who have yet 
to acquire a knowledge of this extraordinary 
people, I advise, first, a visit to the Museum at 
Teheran in order to excite their interest in the 
subject, and second, the reading of such books 
as Nofuhl’s “What we Found in the West,” 
and Noz-yt-ahl’s “ History of the Mehrikans.” 
The last-named is a complete and reliable his- 
tory of these people from the birth of the Re- 
public under George-wash-yn-tun to the year 
1990, when they ceased to exist as a nation. I 
must say, however, that Noz-yt-ahl leaves the 
reader much confused concerning the period 
between the massacre of the Protestants in 
1907, and the overthrow of the Murfey dynasty 
in 1930. 

He holds the opinion with many other his- 
torians that the Mehrikans were a mongrel 
race, with little or no patriotism, and were 
purely imitative ; simply an enlarged copy of 
other nationalities extant at the time. He 
pronounces them a shallow, nervous, extrava- 
gant people, and accords them but few redeem- 
ing virtues. This, of course, is just ; but 
nevertheless they will always be an interesting 
study by reason of their rapid growth, their 
vast numbers, their marvellous mechanical in- 
genuity and their sudden and almost unac- 
countable disappearance. 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


9 


The wealth, luxury and gradual decline of 
the native population ; the frightful climatic 
changes which swept the country like a mow- 
er’s scythe ; the rapid conversion of a vast con- 
tinent, alive with millions of pleasure-loving 
people, into a silent wilderness, where the sun 
and moon look down in turn upon hundreds 
of weed-grown cities, — all this is told by Noz- 
yt-ahl with force and accuracy. 




“ Here 's Truth. 


* T is a hitter Pill hut good 
Physic." 











* 

























ABOARD THE ZLOTUHB 
IN THE YEAR 

2 95 T - 


io th May. 

There is land ahead ! 

Grip-til-lah was first to see it, and when he 
shouted the tidings my heart beat fast with 
joy. The famished crew have forgotten their 
disconsolate stomachs and are dancing about 
the deck. ’Tis not I, forsooth, who shall re- 
strain them ! A month of emptiness upon a 
heavy sea is preparation for any folly. Nofuhl 
alone is without enthusiasm. The old man’s 
heart seems dead. 

We can see the land plainly, a dim strip 
along the western horizon. A fair wind blows 
from the northeast, but we get on with cruel 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


hindrance for the Zlotuhb is a heavy ship, her 
bluff bow and voluminous bottom ill fitting 
her for speed. 

The land, as we near it, seems covered with 
trees, and the white breakers along the yellow 
beach are a welcome sight. 


nth May. 

Sighted a fine harbor this afternoon, and are 
now at anchor in it. 

Grip-til-lah thinks we have reached one of 
the western islands mentioned by Ben-a-Bout. 
Nofuhl, however, is sure we are further North. 


1 2th May. 

What a change has come over Nofuhl ! He 
is the youngest man aboard. We all share his 
delight, as our discoveries are truly marvellous. 
This morning while I was yet in my bunk he 
ran into the cabin and, forgetting our differ- 
ence in rank, seized me by the arm and tried 
to drag me out. His excitement so had the 
better of him that I captured little meaning 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


15 


from his words. Hastening after him, how- 
ever, I was amazed to see such ancient limbs 
transport a man so rapidly. He skipped up 
the narrow stairs like a heifer and, young 
though I am, it was faster than I could fol- 
low. 

But what a sight when I reached the deck ! 
We saw nothing of it yesterday, for the dusk 
of evening was already closing about us when 
we anchored. 

Right ahead, in the middle of the bay, 
towered a gigantic statue, many times higher 
than the masts of our ship. Beyond, from be- 
hind this statue, came the broad river upon 
whose waters we were floating, its surface all 
a-glitter with the rising sun. To the East, 
where Nofuhl was pointing, his fingers trem- 
bling with excitement, lay the ruins of an end- 
less city. It stretched far away into the land 
beyond, further even than our eyes could see. 
And in the smaller river on the right stood 
two colossal structures, rising high in the air, 
and standing like twin brothers, as if to guard 
the deserted streets beneath. Not a sound 
reached us — not a floating thing disturbed the 
surface of the water. Verily, it seemed the 
sleep of Death. 

I was lost in wonder. 

As we looked a strange bird, like a heron, 


6 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


arose with a hoarse cry from the foot of the 
great image and flew toward the city. 

“What does it all mean ?” I cried. “Where 
are we ? ” 

“ Where indeed ! ” said Nofuhl. “ If I knew 
but that, 0 Prince, I could tell the rest ! No 
traveller has mentioned these ruins. Persian 
history contains no record of such a people. 
Allah has decreed that we discover a forgotten 
world.” 


Within an hour we landed, and found our- 
selves in an ancient street, the pavements cov- 
ered with weeds, grass and flowers, all crowd- 
ing together in wild neglect. Huge trees of 
great antiquity thrust their limbs through 
windows and roofs and produced a mournful 
effect. They gave a welcome shade, however, 
as we find the heat ashore of a roasting qual- 
ity most hard to bear. The curious buildings 
on either side are wonderfully preserved, even 
sheets of glass still standing in many of the 
iron window-frames. 

We wandered along through the thick grass, 
Nofuhl and I, much excited over our discover- 
ies and delighted with the strange scene. The 
sunshine is of dazzling brightness, birds are 
singing everywhere, and the ruins are gay with 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


'7 


gorgeous wild flowers. We soon found our- 
selves in what was once a public square, now 
for the most part a shady grove.* 



THE CITY OF RUINS. 


As we sat on a fallen cornice and gazed on 
the lofty buildings about us I asked Nofuhl 


* Afterward ascertained to be the square of the City 
Hall. 



i8 


THE LAST AMERICAN . 


if he was still in ignorance as to where we 
were, and he said : 

“As yet I know not. The architecture is 
much like that of ancient Europe, but it tells 
us nothing.” 

Then I said to him in jest, “ Let this teach 
us, O Nofuhl ! the folly of excessive wisdom. 
Who among thy pupils of the Imperial College 
at Ispahan would believe their venerable in- 
structor in history and languages could visit 
the largest city in the world and know so little 
about it ! ” 

“ Thy words are wise, my Prince,” he an- 
swered ; “few babes could know less.” 


As we were leaving this grove my eyes fell 
upon an upturned slab that seemed to have a 
meaning. It was lying at our feet, partly hid- 
den by the tall grass, having fallen from the 
columns that supported it. Upon its surface 
were strange characters in bold relief, as sharp 
and clear as when chiselled ten centuries ago. 
I pointed it out to Nofuhl, and we bent over 
it with eager eyes. 

It was this : 


ASTOR HOUSE 


THE LAST AMERICAN . 


19 


“ The inscription is Old English,” he said. 
“ ‘ House * signified a dwelling, but the word 
‘ Astor ’ I know not. It was probably the name 
of a deity, and here was his temple.” 

This was encouraging, and we looked about 
eagerly for other signs. 


Our steps soon brought us into another 
street, and as we walked I expressed my sur- 
prise at the wonderful preservation of the stone 
work, which looked as though cut but yester- 
day. 

“ In such an atmosphere decay is slow,” said 
Nofuhl. “A thousand years at least have passed 
since these houses were occupied. Take yon- 
der oak, for instance ; the tree itself has been 
growing for at least a hundred years, and we 
know from the fallen mass beneath it that cen- 
turies had gone by before its birth was pos- 
sible.” 

He stopped speaking, his eyes fixed upon an 
inscription over a doorway, partly hidden by 
one of the branches of the oak. 

Turning suddenly upon me with a look of 
triumph, he exclaimed : 

“ It is ours ! ” 

“ What is ours ? ” I asked. 


20 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


“The knowledge we sought”; and he point- 
ed to the inscription, 

NEW YORK STOCK EXC .... 

He was tremulous with joy. 

“Thou hast heard of Nhu-Yok, O my 
Prince ? ” 

I answered that I had read of it at school. 

“Thou art in it now!” he said. “We are 
standing on the Western Continent. Little 
wonder we thought our voyage long ! ” 

“And what was Nhu-Yok?” I asked. “I 
read of it at college, but remember little. Was 
it not the capital of the ancient Mehrikans?” 

“Not the capital,” he answered, “but their 
largest city. Its population was four mill- 
ions.” 

“ Four millions ! ” I exclaimed. “Verily, O 
Fountain of Wisdom, that is many for one 
city ! ” 

“ Such is history, my Prince ! Moreover, as 
thou knowest, it would take us many days to 
walk this town.” 

“ True, it is endless.” 

He continued thus : 

“ Strange that a single word can tell so 
much ! Those iron structures, the huge statue 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


21 


in the harbor, the temples with pointed towers, 
all are as writ in history.” 

Whereupon I repeated that I knew little of 
the Mehrikans save what I had learned at col- 
lege, a perfunctory and fleeting knowledge, as 
they were a people who interested me but little. 

“ Let us seat ourselves in the shade,” said 
Nofuhl, “and I will tell thee of them.” 

We sat. 

“For eleven centuries the cities ot this 
sleeping hemisphere have decayed in solitude. 
Their very existence has been forgotten. The 
people who built them have long since passed 
away, and their civilization is but a shadowy 
tradition. Historians are astounded that a 
nation of more than seventy millions should 
vanish from the earth like a mist, and leave so 
little behind. But to those familiar with their 
lives and character surprise is impossible. 
There was nothing to leave. The Mehrikans 
possessed neither literature, art, or music of 
their own. Everything was borrowed. The 
very clothes they wore were copied with ludi- 
crous precision from the models of other na- 
tions. They were a sharp, restless, quick- 
witted, greedy race, given body and soul to the 
gathering of riches. Their chiefest passion 
was to buy and sell. Even women, both of 
high and low degree, spent much of their time 


22 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


IN A STREET OF THE FORGOTTEN CITY. 



at bargains, crowding and jostling each other 
in vast marts of trade, for their attire was com- 
plicated, and demanded most of their time.” 

“ How degrading ! ” I exclaimed. 

“So it must have been,” said Nofuhl ; “but 



THE LAST AMERICAN. 


23 


they were not without virtues. Their domestic 
life was happy. A man had but one wife, and 
treated her as his equal.” 

‘‘That is curious ! But as I remember, they 
were a people of elastic honor.” 

“They were so considered,” said Nofuhl; 
“their commercial honor was a jest. They 
were sharper than the Turks. Prosperity was 
their god, with cunning and invention for his 
prophets. Their restless activity no Persian 
can comprehend. This vast country was alive 
with noisy industries, the nervous Mehrikans 
darting with inconceivable rapidity from one 
city to another by a system of locomotion we 
can only guess at. There existed roads with 
iron rods upon them, over which small houses 
on wheels were drawn with such velocity that 
a long day’s journey was accomplished in an 
hour. Enormous ships without sails, driven by 
a mysterious force, bore hundreds of people at 
a time to the furthermost points of the earth.” 

“And are these things lost?” I asked. 

“ We know many of the forces,” said Nofuhl, 
“but the knowledge of applying them is gone. 
The very elements seem to have been their 
slaves. Cities were illuminated at night by 
artificial moons, whose radiance eclipsed the 
moon above. Strange devices were in use by 
which they conversed together when separated 


24 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


by a journey of many days. Some of these ap- 
pliances exist to-day in Persian museums. The 
superstitions of our ancestors allowed their 
secrets to be lost during those dark centuries 
from which at last we are waking.” 

At this point we heard the voice of Bhoz-ja- 
khaz in the distance ; they had found a spring 
and he was calling to us. 

Such heat we had never felt, and it grew 
hotter each hour. Near the river where we ate 
it was more comfortable, but even there the 
perspiration stood upon us in great drops. 
Our faces shone like fishes. It was our wish 
to explore further, but the streets were like 
ovens, and we returned to the Zlotuhb. 


As I sat upon the deck this afternoon record- 
ing the events of the morning in this journal 
Bhoz-ja-khaz and Ad-el-pate approached, ask- 
ing permission to take the small boat and visit 
the great statue. Thereupon Nofuhl informed 
us that this statue in ancient times held aloft a 
torch illuminating the whole harbor, and he 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


25 

requested Ad-el-pate to try and discover how 
the light was accomplished. 

They returned toward evening with this in- 
formation : that the statue is not of solid 
bronze, but hollow ; that they ascended by 
means of an iron stairway into the head of the 
image, and looked down upon us through its 
eyes ; that Ad-el-pate, in the dark, sat to rest 
himself upon a nest of yellow flies with black 
stripes ; that these flies inserted stings into 
Ad-el-pate’s person, causing him to exclaim 
loudly and descend the stairs with unexpected 
agility ; that Bhoz-ja-khaz and the others 
pushed on through the upraised arm, and stood 
at last upon the bronze torch itself ; that the 
city lay beneath them like a map, covering the 
country for miles away on both sides of the 
river. As for illuminating the harbor, Bhoz-ja- 
khaz says Nofuhl is mistaken ; there are no 
vestiges of anything that could give a light — 
no vessel for oil or traces of fire. 

Nofuhl says Ja-khaz is an idiot ; that he 
shall go himself. 


26 


THE LAST AMERICAN . 


i ^th May. 

A startling discovery this morning. 

By landing higher up the river we explored 
a part of the city where the buildings are of a 
different character from those we saw yester- 
day. Nofuhl considers them the dwellings of 
the rich. In shape they are like bricks set on 
end, all very similar, uninteresting and monoto- 
nous. 

We noticed one where the doors and shut- 
ters were still in place, but rotting from the 
fantastic hinges that supported them. A few 
hard blows brought down the outer doors in a 
dusty heap, and as we stepped upon the marble 
floor within our eyes met an unexpected sight. 
Furniture, statues, dingy pictures in crumbling 
frames, images in bronze and silver, mirrors, 
curtains, all were there, but in every condition 
of decay. We knocked open the iron shutters 
and let the light into rooms sealed up for cen- 
turies. In the first one lay a rug from Persia ! 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


27 


Faded, moth-eaten, gone in places, it seemed 
to ask us with dying eyes to be taken hence. 
My heart grew soft over the ancient rug, and 
I caught a foolish look in Lev-el-Hedyd’s 
eye. 

As we climbed the mouldering stair to the 
floor above I expressed surprise that cloth and 
woodwork should hold together for so many 
centuries, also saying : 

“ These Mehrikans were not so unworthy as 
we think them.” 

“ That may be,” said Lev-el-Hedyd, “but the 
Persian rug is far the freshest object we have 
seen, and that perchance was ancient when 
they bought it.” 

On this floor we entered a dim chamber^ 
spacious and once richly furnished. When 
Lev-el-Hedyd pushed open the shutters and 
drew aside the ragged curtains we started at 
the sight before us. Upon a wide bed in the 
centre of the room lay a human form, the long 
yellow hair still clinging to the head. It was 
more a mummy than a skeleton. Around, 
upon the bed, lay mouldering fragments of the 
once white sheets that covered it. On the fin- 
gers of the left hand glistened two rings which 
drew our attention. One held a diamond of 
great price, the other was composed of sap- 
phires and diamonds most curiously arranged. 


28 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


We stood a moment in silence, gazing sadly 
upon the figure. 

“ Poor woman,” I said, “ left thus to die 
alone.” 

“It is more probable,” said Nofuhl, “she 
was already dead, and her friends, departing 
perhaps in haste, were unable to burn the body.” 

“Did they burn their dead?” I asked. “In 
my history ’twas writ they buried them in the 
earth like potatoes, and left them to rot.” 

And Nofuhl answered : “ At one time it was 
so, but later on, as they became more civilized, 
the custom was abandoned.” 

“Is it possible,” I asked, “that this woman 
has been lying here almost a thousand years 
and yet so well preserved ? ” 

“ I, also, am surprised,” said Nofuhl. “ I can 
only account for it by the extreme dryness of 
the air in absorbing the juices of the body and 
retarding decay.” 

Then lifting tenderly in his hand some of 
the yellow hair, he said : 

“ She was probably very young, scarce twen- 
ty.” 

“Were their women fair?” I asked. 

“ They were beautiful,” he answered ; “ with 
graceful forms and lovely faces ; a pleasure to 
the eye ; also were they gay and sprightly 
with much animation.” 



IN THE MOULDERING CHAMBER 
































































THE LAST AMERICAN. 


3 


Thereupon cried Lev-el-Hedyd : 

“ Here are the first words thou hast uttered, 
O Nofuhl, that cause me to regret the extinc- 
tion of this people! There is ever a place in my 
heart for a blushing maiden ! ” 

“ Then let thy grief be of short life,” re- 
sponded Nofuhl, “ for Mehrikan damsels were 
not of that description. Blushing was an art 
they practiced little. The shyness thou so 
lovest in a Persian maiden was to them an un- 
known thing. Our shrinking daughters bear no 
resemblance to these Western products. They 
strode the public streets with roving eyes and 
unblushing faces, holding free converse with 
men as with women, bold of speech and free 
of manner, going and coming as it pleased 
them best. They knew much of the world, 
managed their own affairs, and devised their 
own marriages, often changing their minds 
and marrying another than the betrothed.” 

“ Bismillah ! And men could love these 
things ? ” exclaimed Lev-el-Hedyd with much 
feeling. 

“ So it appears.” 

“ But I should say the Mehrikan bride had 
much the freshness of a dried fig.” 

“So she had,” said Nofuhl, “but those who 
know only the dried fig have no regret for 
the fresh fruit. But the fault was not with 


32 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


the maidens. Brought up like boys, with the 
same studies and mental development, the 
womanly part of their nature gradually van- 
ished as their minds expanded. Vigor of in- 
tellect was the object of a woman’s education.” 

Then Lev-el-Hedyd exclaimed with great 
disgust : 

“ Praises be to Allah for his aid in extermi- 
nating such a people ! ” and he walked away 
from the bed, and began looking about the 
chamber. In a moment he hastened back to us, 
saying : 

“ Here are more jewels ! also money! ” 

Nofuhl eagerly took the pieces. 

“ Money ! ” he cried. “ Money will tell us 
more than pages of history ! ” 

There were silver coins of different sizes and 
two small pieces of copper. Nofuhl studied 
them closely. 

“ The latest date is 1937,” he said ; “ a little 



THE FACE AND BACK OF ONE OF THE SILVER COINS. 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


33 


more than a thousand years ago ; but the piece 
may have been in circulation some years be- 
fore this woman died ; also it may have been 
coined the very year of her death. It bears 
the head of Dennis, the last of the Hy-Burnyan 
dictators. The race is supposed to have be- 
come extinct before 1990 of their era.” 

I then said : 

“Thou hast never told us, O Nofuhl ! the 
cause of their disappearance.” 

“ There were many causes,” he answered. 
“ The Mehrikans themselves were of English 
origin, but people from all parts of Europe 
came here in vast numbers. Although the 
original comers were vigorous and hardy the 
effect of climate upon succeeding generations 
was fatal. They became flat-chested and 
thin, with scanty hair, fragile teeth, and weak 
digestions. Nervous diseases unknown to us 
wrought deadly havoc. Children were reared 
with difficulty. Between 1925 and 1940, the last 
census of which any record remains, the popula- 
tion decreased from ninety millions to less than 
twelve millions. Climatic changes, the like 
of which no other land ever experienced, 
began at that period, and finished in less than 
ten years a work made easy by nervous tem- 
peraments and rapid lives. The temperature 
would skip in a single day from burning heat 


34 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


to winter’s cold. No constitution could with- 
stand it, and this vast continent became once 
more an empty wilderness.” 

Much more of the same nature he told us, 
but I am too sleepy to write longer. We ex- 
plored the rest of the mansion, finding many 
things of interest. I caused several objects to 
be carried aboard the Zlotuhb .* 


14 th May . 

Hotter than yesterday. 

In the afternoon we were rowed up the river 
and landed for a short walk. It is unsafe to 
brave the sun. 

The more I learn of these Mehrikans the less 
interesting they become. Nofuhl is of much 
the same mind, judging from our conversation 
to-day, as we walked along together. 

It was in this wise : 

Khan-li. 

How alike the houses ! How monotonous ! 


* These objects are now in the museum of the Imperial 
College, at Teheran. 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


35 


Ndfuhl. 

So, also, were the occupants. They thought 
alike, worked alike, ate, dressed and conversed 
alike. They read the same books ; they fash- 
ioned their garments as directed, with no re- 
gard for the size or figure of the individual, 
and copied to a stitch the fashions of Euro- 
peans. 

Khan-li. 

But the close-fitting apparel of the Euro- 
pean must have been sadly uncomfortable in 
the heat of a Mehrikan summer. 

Ndfuhl. 

So probably it was. Stiff boxes of varying 
patterns adorned the heads of men. Curious 
jackets with tight sleeves encased the body. 
The feet throbbed and burned in close-fitting 
casings of unyielding leather and linen made 
stiff by artificial means was drawn tightly about 
the neck. 


Khan-li. 

Allah ! What idiots ! 

Ndfuhl. 

Even so are they considered. 


36 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


Khan-li. 

To what quality of their minds do you at- 
tribute such love of needless suffering ? 

Ndfuhl. 

It was their desire to be like others. A 
natural feeling in a vulgar people. 


15 th May. 

A fair wind from the West to-day. We 
weighed anchor and sailed up the Eastern side 
of the city. I did this as Nofuhl finds the up- 
per portion of the town much richer in relics 
than the lower, which seems to have been 
given up to commercial purposes. We sailed 
close under one of the great monuments in the 
river, and are at a loss to divine its meaning. 
Many iron rods still dangle from the tops of 
each of the structures. As they are in a line, 
one with the other, we thought at first they 
might have been once connected and served as 
a bridge, but we soon saw they were too far 
apart. 

Came to anchor about three miles from the 
old mooring. Up the river and down, North, 


THE TWO MONUMENTS IN THE RIVER. 

























































- 






































































































































































































































THE LAST AMERICAN. 


39 

South, East and West, the ruins stretch away 
indefinitely, seemingly without end. 

Am anxious about Lev-el-Hedyd. He went 
ashore and has not returned. It is now after 
midnight. 


1 6th May. 

Praise Allah ! my dear comrade is alive ! 
This morning we landed early and began our 
search for him. As we passed before the brick 
building which bears the inscription 

DELMONICO 

high up upon its front, we heard his voice from 
within in answer to our calls. We entered, 
and after climbing the ruined stairway found 
him seated upon the floor above. He had a 
swollen leg from an ugly sprain, and various 
bruises were also his. While the others were 
constructing a litter on which to bear him hence 
we conversed together. The walls about us 
bore traces of having once enclosed a hall of 
some beauty. In idling about I pulled open 
the decaying door of an old closet and saw 
upon the rotting shelves many pieces of glass 
and earthenware of fine workmanship. Taking 


40 


THE LAST AMERICAN . 


one in my hand, a small wine-cup of glass, I 
approached my comrade calling his attention 
to its slender stem and curious form. As his 



eyes fell upon it they opened wide in amaze- 
ment. I also observed a trembling of his 
hand as he reached forth to touch it. He then 
recounted to me his marvellous adventure of 
the night before, but saying before he began : 

“ Thou knowest, O Prince, I am no believer 
in visions, and I should never tell the tale but 
for thy discovery of this cup. I drank from 
such an one last night, proffered by a ghostly 
hand.” 

I would have smiled, but he was much in 
earnest. As I made a movement to sit beside 
him, he said : 

“Taste first, O my master, of the grapes 
hanging from yonder wall.” 

I did so, and to my great surprise found them 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


41 


of an exquisite flavor, finer even than the cul- 
tivated fruit of Persia, sweeter and more del- 
icate, of a different nature from the wild grapes 
we have been eating. My astonishment ap- 
peared to delight him, and he said with a 
laugh : 

“The grapes are impossible, but they exist ; 
even more absurd is my story ! ” and he then 
narrated his adventure. 

It was this : 

WHAT LEV-EL-HEDYD SAW. 

Yesterday, after nightfall, as he was hasten- 
ing toward the Zldtuhb he fell violently upon 
some blocks of stone, wrenching his ankle and 
much bruising himself. Unable to walk upon 
his foot he limped into this building to await 
our coming in the morning. The howling of 
wolves and other wild beasts as they prowled 
about the city drove him, for safety, to crawl 
up the ruins of the stairway to the floor above. 
As he settled himself in a corner of this hall 
his nostrils were greeted with the delicious 
odor from the grapes above his head. He 
found them surprisingly good, and ate heartily. 
He soon after fell into a sleep which lasted 
some hours, for when he awoke the moon was 
higher in the heavens, the voices of the wolves 
were hushed and the city was silent. 


42 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


As he lay in a revery, much absorbed in his 
own thoughts, he gradually became aware of 
mysterious changes taking place, as if by stealth, 
about him. A decorated ceiling appeared to 
be closing over the hall. Mirrors and tinted 
walls slowly crept in place of ivy and crum- 
bling bricks. A faint glow grew stronger and 
more intense until it filled the great room with 
a dazzling light. 

Then came softly into view a table of curi- 
ous form, set out with flowers and innumer- 
able dishes of glass and porcelain, as for a 
feast. 

Standing about the room he saw solemn 
men with beardless faces, all in black attire, 
whose garments bore triangular openings upon 
the chest to show the shirt beneath. These 
personages he soon discovered were servants. 

As he gazed in bewilderment, there entered 
other figures, two by two, who took their 
seats about the table. These later comers, 
sixty or more, were men and women walk- 
ing arm in arm, the women in rich attire 
of unfamiliar fashion and sparkling with 
precious stones. The men were clad like the 
servants. 

They ate and drank and laughed, and form- 
ed a brilliant scene. Lev-el-Hedyd rose to 
his feet, and moved by a curiosity he made 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


43 


no effort to resist, — for he is a reckless fellow 
and knows no fear — he hobbled out into the 
room. 

They looked upon him in surprise, and 
seemed much amused at his presence. One of 
the guests, a tall youth with yellow mustaches, 
approached him, offering a delicate crystal 
vessel filled with a sparkling fluid. 

Lev-el-Hedyd took it. 

The youth raised another from the table, 
and with a slight gesture as if in salutation, 
he said in words which my comrade under- 
stood, though he swears it was a language 
unknown to him, 

“We may meet again the fourth of next 
month.” 

He then drank the wine, and so did Lev-el- 
Hedyd. 

Hereupon the others smiled as if at their 
comrade’s wit, all save the women, whose 
tender faces spoke more of pity than of mirth. 
The wine flew to his brain as he drank it, and 
things about him seemed to reel and spin. 
Strains of fantastic music burst upon his ears, 
then, all in rhythm, the women joined their 
partners and whirled about him with a light- 
some step. * And, moving with it, his throb- 
bing brain seemed dancing from his head. 
The room itself, all swaying and quivering 


44 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


with the melody, grew dim and stole from 
view. The music softly died away. 

Again was silence, the moon above looking 
calmly down upon the ivied walls. 

He fell like a drunken man upon the floor, 
and did not wake till our voices called him. 

Such his tale. 

He has a clear head and is no liar, but so 
many grapes upon an empty stomach with the 
fever from his swollen limb might well explain 
it. 


****** 45 - 


Bear’s meat for dinner. 

This morning toward noon Kuzundam, the 
second officer, wandered on ahead of us, and 
entered a large building in pursuit of a rabbit. 
He was about descending to the basement be- 
low, when he saw, close before him, a bear 
leisurely mounting the marble stairs. Kuzun- 
dam is no coward, but he turned and ran as he 
never ran before. The bear, who seemed of a 
sportive nature, also ran, and in close pursuit of 
our friend. Luckily for my friend we happened 












































































' 






























































. 































































































kuzundam’s narrow escape. 




THE LAST AMERICAN. 


47 


to be near, otherwise instead of our eating 
bear’s meat, the bear might have lunched 
quietly off Kuzundam in the shady corridors 
of the “ Fifthavenuehotel.” 


i yth May. 

To-day a scorching heat that burns the 
lungs. We started in the morning prepared to 
spend the night ashore, and explore the north- 
ern end of the city. It was a pleasant walk 
through the soft grass of the shady streets, but 
in those places unsheltered from the sun we 
were as fish upon a frying-pan. Other dwell- 
ings we saw, even larger and more imposing 
than the one we entered yesterday. We were 
tempted to explore them, but Lev-el-Hedyd 
wisely dissuaded us, saying the day was wax- 
ing hotter each hour and it could be done on 
our return. 

In the northern part of the town are many 
religious temples, with their tall towers like 
slender pyramids, tapering to a point. They 


48 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


are curious things, and surprisingly well pre- 
served. The interiors of these temples are 
uninteresting. Nofuhl says the religious rites 
of the Mehrikans were devoid of character. 
There were many religious beliefs, all compli- 
cated and insignificant variations one from 
another, each sect having its own temples 
and refusing to believe as the others. This is 
amusing to a Persian, but mayhap was a seri- 
ous matter with them. One day in each week 
they assembled, the priests reading long moral 
lectures written by themselves, with music by 
hired singers. They then separated, taking no 
thought of temple or priest for another seven 
days. Nofuhl says they were not a religious 
people. That the temples were filled mostly 
with women. 


In the afternoon we found it necessary to 
traverse a vast pleasure-ground, now a wild 
forest, but with traces still visible of . broad 
promenades and winding driveways.* There 
remains an avenue of bronze statues, most 
of them yet upright and in good condition, 
but very comic. Lev-el-Hedyd and I still think 


* Olbaldeh thinks this must be the Centralpahk some- 
times alluded to in Mehrikan literature. . 



IN ONE OF THE TEMPLES 




































THE LAST AMERICAN. 


51 


them caricatures, but Nofuhl is positive they 
were serious efforts, and says the Mehrikans 
were easily pleased in matters of art. 

We lest our way in this park, having nothing 
to guide us as in the streets of the city. This 
was most happy, as otherwise we should have 
missed a surprising discovery. 

It occurred in this wise. 

Being somewhat overcome by the heat we 
halted upon a little hill to rest ourselves. 
While reclining beneath the trees I noticed un- 
usual carvings upon a huge block against 
which Lev-el-Hedyd was supporting his back. 
They were unlike any we had seen, and yet 
they were not unfamiliar. As I lay there gaz- 
ing idly at them it flashed upon me they were 
Egyptian. We at once fell to examining the 
block, and found to our amazement an obelisk 
of Egyptian granite, covered with Egyptian 
hieroglyphics of an antiquity exceeding by 
thousands of years the most ancient monu- 
ments of the country ! 

Verily, we were puzzled ! 

“ When did the Egyptians invade Mehrika ? ” 
quoth Bhoz-ja-khaz, with a solemn look, as if 
trying to recall a date. 

“ No Egyptian ever heard of Mehrika,” said 
Nofuhl. “This obelisk was finished twenty 
centuries before the first Mehrikan was weaned. 


52 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


In all probability it was brought here as a 
curiosity, just as we take to Persia the bronze 
head of George-wash-yn-tun.” 

We spent much time over the monument, 
and I think Nofuhl was disappointed that he 
could not bring it away with him. 


Also while in this park we came to a high 
tower, standing by itself, and climbed to the 
top, where we enjoyed a wide-spreading view. 

The extent of the city is astounding. 

Miles away in the river lay the Zlotuhb , a 
white speck on the water. All about us in 
every direction as far as sight can reach were 
ruins, and ruins, and ruins. Never was a more 
melancholy sight. The blue sky, the bright 
sunshine, the sweet-scented air with the gay 
flowers and singing birds only made it sadder. 
They seemed a mockery. 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


53 


We have encamped for the night, and I can 
write no more. Countless flying insects gather 
about us with a hateful buzz, and bite us be- 
yond endurance. They are a pest thrice ac- 
cursed. 

I tell Nofuhl his fine theory concerning the 
extinction of the Yahnkis is a good tale for 
those who have never been here. 

No man without a leather skin could survive 
a second night. 


1 Zth May . 

Poor Ja-khaz is worse than sick. 

He had an encounter last night with a strange 
animal, and his defeat was ignoble. The ani- 
mal, a pretty thing, much like a kitten, was 
hovering near when Ja-khaz, with rare courage 
and agility, threw himself upon it. 

And then what happened none of us can 
state with precision. We know we held our 


54 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


noses and fled. And Ja-khaz ! No words can 
fit him. He carries with him an odor to devas- 
tate a province. We had to leave him ashore 
and send him fresh raiment. 

This is, verily, a land of surprises. 

Our hands and faces still smart from the 
biting insects, and the perfume of the odorous 
kitten promises to be ever with us. 


Nofuhl is happy. We have discovered hun- 
dreds of metal blocks, the poorest of which he 
asserts would be the gem of a museum. They 
were found by Fattan-laiz-eh in the basement 
of a high building, all laid carefully away 
upon iron shelves. The flood of light they 
throw upon the manners and customs of this 
ludicrous people renders them of priceless 
value to historians. 

I harbor a suspicion that it causes Nofuhl 
some pleasure to sit upon the cool deck of the 
Zlotuhb and watch Bhoz-ja-khaz walking to and 
fro upon the ruins of a distant wharf. 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


55 


19 th May . 

The air is cooler. Grip-til-lah thinks a 
storm is brewing. 

Even Nofuhl is puzzled over the wooden 
image we brought aboard yesterday. It is 
well preserved, with the barbaric coloring still 



THE WOODEN GOD. 

fresh upon it. They found it standing upright 
in a little shop. 

How these idols were worshipped, and why 
they are found in little shops and never in the 


56 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


great temples is a mystery. It has a diadem 
of feathers on the head, and as we sat smoking 
upon the deck this evening I remarked to 
Nofuhl that it might be the portrait of some 
Mehrikan noble. Whereupon he said they had 
no nobles. 

“ But the Mehrikans of gentle blood,” I 
asked, “ had they no titles ? ” 

“ Neither titles nor gentle blood,” he an- 
swered. “ And as they were all of much the 
same origin, and came to this country simply 
to thrive more fatly than at home, there was 
nothing except difference in wealth on which 
to establish a superior order. Being deep re- 
specters of money this was a satisfying dis- 
tinction. It soon resulted that those families 
who possessed riches for a generation or two 
became the substitute for an aristocracy. This 
upper class was given to sports and pastimes, 
spending their wealth freely, being prodigious- 
ly fond of display. Their intellectual develop- 
ment was feeble, and they wielded but little 
influence save in social matters. They fol- 
lowed closely the fashions of foreign aristoc- 
racies. Great attentions were paid to wander- 
ing nobles from other lands. Even distant 
relatives of titled people were greeted with the 
warmest enthusiasm. 





A STREET SCENE IN ANCIENT NHU-YOK. 

[The costumes and manner of riding are taken from metal plates now in the museum at Teheran.] 





















































*\ 








\ 

















THE LAST AMERICAN. 


59 


20 th May. 

An icy wind from the Northeast with a vio- 
lent rain. Yesterday we gasped with the hot 
air. To-day we are shivering in winter cloth- 
ing. 


21 st May. 

The same as yesterday. Most of us are ill. 
My teeth chatter and my body is both hot and 
cold. A storm more wicked never wailed 
about a ship. Lev-el-Hedyd calls it the shriek- 
ing voices of the seventy millions of Mehrikans 
who must have perished in similar weather. 


1 6th June. 

It is many days since I have touched this 
journal. A hateful sickness has been upon me, 
destroying all energy and courage. A sort of 
fever, and yet my limbs were cold. I could 
not describe it if I would. 

Nofuhl came into the cabin this evening 
with some of his metal plates and discoursed 


6o THE LAST AMERICAN. 

upon them. He has no respect for the intel- 
lects of the early Mehrikans. I thought for a 
moment I had caught him in a contradiction, 
but he was right as usual. It was thus : 

Ndfuhl. 

They were great readers. 

Khan-li. 

You have told us they had no literature. 
Were they great readers of nothing? 

Ndfuhl. 

Verily, thou hast said it ! Vast sheets of 
paper were published daily in which all crimes 
were recorded in detail. The more revolting 
the deed, the more minute the description. 
Horrors were their chief delight. Scandals 
were drunk in with thirstful eyes. These 
chronicles of crime and filth were issued by 
hundreds of thousands. There was hardly a 
family in the land but had one. 

Khan-li. 

And did this take the place of literature ? 


Even so. 


Ndfuhl. 


THE LAST AMERICAN . 


6 I 


20th June. 

Once more we are on the sea ; two days 
from NhQ-Yok. Our decision was a sudden 
one. Nofuhl, in an evil moment, found among 
those accursed plates a map of the country, 
and thereupon was seized with an unreasoning 
desire to visit a town called “ Washington.” I 
wavered and at last consented, foolishly I be- 
lieve, for the crew are loud for Persia. And 
this town is inland on a river. He says it was 
their finest city, the seat of Government, the 
capital of the country. Grip-til-lah swears he 
can find it if the map is truthful. 

Ja-khaz still eats by himself. 


2d July. 

We are on the river that leads to “Washing- 
ton.” Grip-til-lah says we shall sight it to- 
morrow. The river is a dirty color. 


id July. 

We see ahead of us the ruins of a great 
dome, also a very high shaft. Probably they 
belong to the city we seek. 


62 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


4-tk July. 

A date we shall not forget ! 

Little did I realize this morning when we 
left the Zlotuhb in such hilarious mood what 
dire events awaited us. I landed about noon, 
accompanied by Nofuhl, Lev-el-Hedyd, Bhoz- 
ja-khaz, Ad-el-pate, Kuzundam the first mate, 
Tik’l-palyt the cook, Fattan-laiz-eh, and two 
sailors. Our march had scarce begun when a 
startling discovery caused great commotion in 
our minds. We had halted at Nofuhl’s request, 
to decipher the inscription upon a stone, when 
Lev-el-Hedyd, who had started on, stopped 
short with a sudden exclamation. We hastened 
to him, and there, in the soft earth, was the 
imprint of human feet ! 

I cannot describe our surprise. We decided 
to follow the footprints, and soon found they 
were leading us toward the great dome more 
directly than we could have gone ourselves. 
Our excitement was beyond words. Those of 
us who had weapons carried them in readiness. 
The path was little used, but clearly marked. 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


63 



THROUGH THE STREETS OF “ WASHINGTON.” 


It wound about among fallen fragments and 
crumbling statues, and took us along a wide 
avenue between buildings of vast size and 
solidity, far superior to any we had seen in 
Nhu-Yok. It seemed a city of monuments. 

As we ascended the hill to the great temple 
and saw it through the trees rising high above 
us, we were much impressed by its vast size 
and beauty. Our eyes wandered in admiration 


6 4 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


over the massive columns, each hewn from a 
single block, still white and fresh as if newly 
quarried. The path took us under one of the 
lower arches of the building, and we emerged 
upon the other side. This front we found even 



THE RUINS OF THE GREAT TEMPLE. 


more beautiful than the one facing the city. 
At the centre was a flight of steps of magnifi- 
cent proportions, now falling asunder and over- 
grown in many places with grass and flowers. 

These steps we ascended. As I climbed silent- 
ly up, the others following, I saw two human 



THE LAST AMERICAN. 


65 


feet, the soles toward us, resting upon the 
balustrade above. With a gesture I directed 
Nofuhl’s attention to them, and the old man’s 
eyes twinkled with delight. Was it a Mehri- 
kan ? I confess to a lively excitement at the 
prospect of meeting one. How many were 
they ? and how would they treat us ? 

Looking down upon my little band to see 
that all were there, I boldly marched up the 
remaining steps and stood before him. 

He was reclining upon a curious little four- 
legged seat, with his feet upon the balustrade, 
about on a level with his head. Clad in skins 
and rough cloth he looked much like a hunter, 
and he gazed quietly upon me, as though a 
Persian noble were a daily guest. Such a re- 
ception was not gratifying, especially as he 
remained in the same position, not even with- 
drawing his feet. He nodded his curious head 
down once and up again, deeming it apparently 
a sufficient salutation. 

The maintenance of my own dignity before 
my followers forbade my standing thus before 
a seated barbarian, and I made a gesture for 
him to rise. This he answered in an unseemly 
manner by ejecting from his mouth a brownish 
fluid, projecting it over and beyond the balus- 
trade in front of him. Then looking upon me 
as if about to laugh, and yet with a grave face, 


66 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 



THE FEET UPON THE PORTICO. 


he uttered something in an unmusical voice 
which I failed to understand. 

Upon this Nofuhl, who had caught the 
meaning of one or two words, stepped hastily 
forward and addressed him in his own lan- 
guage. But the barbarian understood with 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


67 


difficulty and they had much trouble in con- 
versing, chiefly from reason of Nofuhl’s pro- 
nunciation. He afterward told me that this 
man’s language differed but little from that of 
the Mehrikans, as they wrote it eleven centuries 
ago. 

When he finally arose in talking with No- 
fuhl I could better observe him. He was tall 
and bony, with an awkward neck, and ap- 
peared at first glance to be a man of forty 
years. We decided later he was under thirty. 
His yellow skin and want of hair made him 
seem much older than he was. I was also much 
puzzled by the expression of his face. It was 
one of deep sadness, yet his eyes were full of 
mirth, and a corner of his mouth was ever 
drawing up as if in mockery. For myself 
I liked not his manner. He appeared little im- 
pressed by so many strangers, and bore him- 
self as though it were of small importance 
whether we understood him or not. But No- 
fuhl since informed me that he asked a multi- 
tude of questions concerning us. 

What Nofuhl gathered was this : 

This Mehrikan with his wife and one old 
man were all that remained of his race. Thirty- 
one had died this summer. In ancient times 
there were many millions of his country- 
men. They were the greatest nation upon the 


68 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


earth. He could not read. He had two names, 
one was “Jon,” the other he had forgotten. 
They lived in this temple because it was cool. 
When the temple was built, and for what pur- 
pose, he could not tell. He pointed to the 
West and said the country in that direction 
was covered with ruined cities. 

When Nofuhl told him we were friends, and 
presented him at my direction with a hunting- 
knife of fine workmanship, he pushed out his 
right arm toward me and held it there. For 
an instant Nofuhl looked at the arm wonder- 
ingly, as did we all, then with sudden intelli- 
gence he seized the outstretched hand in his 
own, and moved it up and down. This was in- 
teresting, for Nofuhl tells me it was a form of 
greeting among the ancient Mehrikans. 

While all this was going on we had moved 
into the great circular hall beneath the dome. 
This hall was of vast proportions, and there 
were still traces of its former splendor. Against 
the walls were marble statues entwined in ivy, 
looking down upon us with melancholy eyes. 
Here also we met a thin old man, whose hair- 
less head and beardless face almost moved us 
to mirth. 

At Nofuhl’s request our host led the way 
into some of the smaller rooms to show us 
their manner of living, and it would be im- 


THE MAN. 


































































THE LAST AMERICAN. 


7 


possible to imagine a more pathetic mixture 
of glory and decay, of wealth and poverty, 
of civilization and barbarity. Old furniture, 
dishes of silver, bronze images, even paintings 
and ornaments of great value were scattered 
through the rooms, side by side with the most 
primitive implements. It was plain the ancient 
arts were long since forgotten. 

When we returned to the circular hall our 
host disappeared for a few moments into a 
room which he had not shown us. He came 
back bringing a stone vase with a narrow neck, 
and was followed by a maiden who bore drink- 
ing-cups of copper and tin. These she depos- 
ited upon a fallen fragment of the dome which 
served as a table. 

This girl was interesting. A dainty head, 
delicate features, yellow hair, blue eyes and a 
gentle sadness of mien that touched my heart. 
Had she been ugly what a different ending to 
this day ! 

We all saluted her, and the Mehrikan spoke 
a few words which we interpreted as a presen- 
tation. He filled the cups from the stone vase, 
and then saying something which Nofuhl 
failed to catch, he held his cup before his face 
with a peculiar movement and put it to his 
lips. As he did this Lev-el-Hedyd clutched 
my arm and exclaimed : 


72 


THE LAST AMERICAN . 


“ The very gesture of the ghost ! ” 

And then as if to himself, “And this is July 
fourth.” 

But he drank, as did we all, for our thirst 
was great and the odor of the golden liquid 
was most alluring. It tasted hotter than the 
fires of Jelbuz. It was also of great potency 



THE GIRL. 


and gave a fine exhilaration to the senses. We 
became happier at once. 

And here it was that Ja-khaz did a fatal 
thing. Being near the maid and much affected 
by her beauty, he addressed her as Har-al- 
nissa ,* which, of course, she understood not. 
This were well had he gone no further, but he 


* The most angelic of women. 


THE LAST AMERICAN . 


73 


next put his arm about her waist with intent 
to kiss her. Much terrified, she tried to free 
herself. But Ja-khaz, holding her fair chin 
with his other hand, had brought his lips al- 
most to hers when the old man raised his 
heavy staff and brought it down upon our 
comrade’s head with cruel swiftness. This 
falling stick upon a solid skull resounded 
about the dome and echoed through the empty 
corridors. 

Bhoz-ja-khaz blinked and staggered back. 

Then, with fury in his face, he sprang sav- 
agely toward the aged man. 

But here the younger Mehrikan interfered. 
Rapidly approaching them and shutting tight 
his bony hand, he shot it from him with start- 
ling velocity, so directing that it came in con- 
tact with the face of Ja-khaz who, to our amaze- 
ment, sat roughly upon the marble pavement, 
the blood streaming from his nostrils. He was 
a pitiful sight. 

Unaccustomed to such warfare we were seri- 
ously alarmed, and thought him killed perhaps. 
Ad-el-pate, a mighty wrestler, and of powerful 
build, rushed furiously upon the Mehrikan for 
whom I trembled. But his arm again went out 
before him, and Ad-el-pate likewise sat. A 
mournful spectacle, and every Persian felt his 
heart beat fast within him. 


74 


THE LAST AMERICAN . 


By this time Ja-khaz was on his feet again, 
purple with rage. With uplifted scimitar he 
sprang toward our host. The old man step- 
ped between. Ja-khaz, with wanton cruelty, 
brought his steel upon the ancient head, and 
stretched him upon the floor. For an instant 
the younger one stood horror-stricken, then 
snatching from the floor the patriarch’s staff — 
a heavy stick with an iron end — he jumped 
forward, and, quicker than words can tell it, 
dealt a frightful blow upon the head of Ja-khaz 
which sent him headlong to the ground with a 
broken skull. 

All this had happened in a moment, and wild 
confusion followed. My followers drew their 
arms and rushed upon the Mehrikan. The 
girl ran forward either from terror or to shield 
her spouse, I know not which, when a flying 
arrow from a sailor’s cross-bow pierced her to 
the heart. 

This gave the Mehrikan the energy of twenty 
men. 

He knocked brave Kuzundam senseless with 
a blow that would have killed an ox. Such 
fury I had not conceived. He brought his 
flying staff like a thunderbolt from Heaven 
upon the Persian skulls, yet always edging 
toward the door to prevent his enemies sur- 
rounding him. Four of our number, in as 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


75 



THE SLAUGHTER OF THE PERSIANS. 


many minutes, joined Ja-khaz upon the floor. 
Kuzundam, Ad-el-pate, Fattan-laiz-eh, and 
Ha-tak, a sailor, lay stretched upon the pave- 
ment, all dead or grievously wounded. 

So suddenly had this taken place, that I 
hardly realized what had happened. I rushed 
forward to stay the combat, but he mistook the 
purpose, struck my scimitar with a force that 
sent it flying through the air, and had raised 
his staff to deal a second for myself, when brave 


76 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


Lev-el-Hedyd stepped in to save me, and 
thrust quickly at him. But alas ! the Mehrikan 
warded off his stroke with one yet quicker, and 
brought his stick so swiftly against my com- 
rade’s head that it laid him with the others. 

When Lev-el-Hedyd fell I saw the Mehrikan 
had many wounds, for my comrades had made 
a savage onslaught. He tottered as he moved 
back into the doorway, where he leaned against 
the wall for an instant, his eyes meeting ours 
with a look of defiance and contempt that I 
would willingly forget. Then the staff dropped 
from his hand ; he staggered out to the great 
portico, and fell his length upon the pavement. 
Nofuhl hastened to him, but he was dead. 


As he fell a wonderful thing took place — an 
impossible thing, as I look back upon it, but 
both Nofuhl and I saw it distinctly. 

In front of the great steps and facing this 
doorway is a large sitting image of George- 
wash-yn-tun. As the Mehrikan staggered out 
upon the porch, his hands outstretched before 
him and with Death at his heart, this statue 
slowly bowed its head as if in recognition of a 
gallant fight. 

Perhaps it was the sorrowful acceptance of 
a bitter ending. 



THE LAST OF THE MEHRIKANS. 


> > 
> > > 


y , i 



78 


THE LAST AMERICAN. 


7th July. 

Again upon the sea. 

This time for Persia, bearing our wounded 
and the ashes of the dead ; those of the natives 
are reposing beneath the Great Temple. 

The skull of the last Mehrikan I shall pre- 
sent to the museum at Teheran. 
















































































































































% 









































* 































































































H jj i j , ■ 







































* 











































































